Snow-removing machine



J. J. RYAN.

SNOW REMOVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.2II. IaIs.

Patented July 22, 1919.

I. I .RNN.. MV. MM. v

UNITED. STATES PATENT JOHN J. RYAN, oFBAYoNNE, NEW JERSEY.

El@ g SN OW-REMOVING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application led January 28, 1919. Serial No. 273,612.

New Jersey, have invented new and useful' Improvements in Snow-Removing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for removing snow, comprising a tank vehicle having an elevator at one end for raising the snow from the ground and depositing it into the tank, means for operating the elevator from the wheels lof the vehicle, a snow receptacle located in the tank body and into which the snow is deposited by the elevator and means for heating the receptacle to melt the snow; said receptacle'having a valved spout at its lowest part from which the melted snow may be discharged into any nearby sewer or other suitable place. An object of the invention is to insure proper action of the elevator when the machine is moving in curvilinear directions, as when .passing around street corners, and to meet such requirement the elevator is divided into two sections, each driven by a side wheel of the vehicle, whereby the speeds of the elevator sections will accord with variations of rotation of the inside and outside wheels under; such conditions.

A feature of the invention is the provision of means, as tappers acting on the bottoms of the elevators, to jar the snow from the buckets as they arrive in position to discharge the snow into the receptacle, the tappers of each section of the elevator being actuated in accordance with the speed of travel of the sections.

Another feature is an adjustable or yielding plow or device located in front of the mouth of the elevator for breaking up hard packed or incrusted snow. The mouth of the elevator is also provided with a yielding scoop, adapted to slip over any fixed object or rigid obstruction in the path of travel of the machine, and also adapted to be raised and held away from the ground when'the machine is traveling in inactive condition.

The tank body which is provided with the heating apparatus, preferably oil burners, and in which the snow receiving and melting receptacle is located will' be suitably lined with fire brick or other non-heat concluctin material. It is also pro osed to provide t e melting receptaclewit return lues for the passage of the products of combustion of the burning oil from the burners tothe chimney, thus insuring ample heating surface.

A snow removing machine embracing the above and other minor features is illustrated 1n the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 1, 1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2, is a plan view with the outside cover of the elevator removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the boy and snow receptacle of the machine, an

Fig. 4, is a section of av portion of the elevator.

The machine may be operated by any lsuitable motive power; it is represented in the drawings as a trailer provided with rear supporting wheels 5, 5, and supported at its front end on a tractor or. motor truck 6, in the usual manner, as at 7. The body is a substantially rectangular tank 8, lined with lire brick or other heat resisting non-conducting material 9. At the rear end is secured the casing 10, of the snow elevator, which is suitably inclined and extends from near the ground to the top of the body.

The elevator is longitudinally dividedv into two parts 11 and 12, between which is a division 13, of the casing, the buckets of each part consisting of bottoms 14 and backs 15, are carried by a pair of chains 16, running over sprocket wheels on the shafts 17 and 18, which have bearings at the upper and lower ends of the casing. These shafts are in two parts, one for each of the sections 11 and 12 of the elevator, and the parts 17 are independently driven through the medium of chains and sprocket wheels 19, connecting their ends, which project from the sides of the casing, t0 the supporting and power wheels 5, respectively located at the same side of the machine. By this arrangement undue strains on the elevator, operating to raise snow from the ground, in moving around street corners or making other curvilinear turns, will be avoided, as each set of elevator .buckets will travel in accordance with the speed of rotation of its At the lower end of the elevator is an ladj ustable yielding scoop 21, shown as a cylindrical shell adapted to swing over the cylindrical end of the back plate of the elevator casing 10, and carried by arms 22, fitted to rock on the projecting ends of the shaft 17. The scoop is held in position to scrape the snow from the ground and properly present it to the buckets by a spring 23, at each side of the casing and bearing on a flat surface of the arm 22, in such manner as to give way to movements of the scoop, when 1t strikes an obstruction on the ground,A and to return the scoop back to normal working position after passingv such obstructions. The flats on which the springs act are also so formed as to hold the scoop away from the ground when the machine is not in action and the scoop so raised by hand.

At times the snow, under some conditions, may by sticking to the buckets not be freely discharged therefrom at the top of the elevator, and to overcome this objection-able `feature a suitable tapping or knocking device is provided for each set of buckets, con sisting of hammers 24, extending from shafts 25, located between the runs of each section of the elevator and actuated by a toothed or notched wheel 26, secured to the projecting end of the shafts 18, and acting on a tappet 27, secured to the end of each hammer shaft 25, the arrangement being such that the shafts 25 will be rocked and the hammers, preferably spring actuated, will be caused to strike the undersides of the bottoms of the buckets several times during their transit past the hammers and so jar adhering snow from the buckets.

Ledges 28, as angle iron, secured to the outer walls 10 and the partition 13 of the elevator casing act as guides and supports for the buckets; see Fig. 4.

To break up snow which has become dense or hard by being packed or from other causes a plow device is provided arranged in front of the mouth of the elevator. This device consists of prongs or teeth 29, secured to a bar 30, extending transversely under the tank body. These plow teeth yield to any rigid obstruction they may strike. A suitable eonstruction for this purpose is to carry the bar 30 by a parallel link system 31 at each side of the tank body, the bar 30 being connected to the horizontal rods of the systems by side pieces 32. The weight of the bar and teeth may be sufficient to hold the teeth in proper working position. or a spring may be used for this purpose. 33 designates a handle for raising the teeth from the ground when the machine is traveling out of action, and they be so held by any suitable locking device, as. for instance a hooked catch 34.

The snow receiving and melting receptacle 35, located in the tank body 8, has its Afront and back walls and the lower part of its side walls inclined, the apex of which is provided with a spout 36, having a valve 37, through which the melted snow &c. may be discharged. A detachable pipenay be applied. to this spoutwhen it is desired to discharge the water &c. away from the side of the machine, as for instance if the machine be used to remove snow from car tracks, to allow the water to fiow into a gutter or into a culvert at the side of a street.

A suitable and preferred means for heating the snow in t-he receptacle is by the use of oil', a burner 38, for this purpose being located at the front of the machine and arranged to direct the burning oil into the chamber 39, formed by the horizontal wall 52, extending between the receptacle and the front wall of the tank body. Flues 40 extend through the snow receptacle fore and aft thereof. The products of combustion of the oil issuing from the burner 38 pass from the chamber 39, around the lower part of the receptacle and through the lower lues, if the fines be arranged in the lower part of the receptacle, and into the rear chamber 41, then forwardly through the fines into the upper chamber 42 at the forward part of the machine, escaping therefrom through the chimney 43, which'may be provided with an ordinary damper device.

An oil tank 44, and an air tank 45, are carried on the top of the body 3'; said air tank being supplied with air under adequate pressure by an air pump 4G, whose motive power may be of any suitable character, as for instance it may be driven directly or indirectly by one of the supporting wheels of the machine. Itis shown as driven from the top shaft 18 of the ma chine through the medium of a crank and rod connection 47.

A pipe 48 supplies oil from the tank 44 to the burner 38, and compressed air is supplied to the burner from the tank 45 by the pipe 49. These devices may be of ordinary construction provided with regulating 1ialves &c. and need no further description ere.

A door 50, at the side of the combustion chamber 39, provides entrance to the chamber for cleaning and repairing purposes and for lighting the oil issuing from the burner and a door 51, at the side of the chamber 41, provides entrance to said chamber for cleaning and repairing purposes.

I claim:

l. A snow removing machine, comprising a tank vehicle, an elevator in two sections at one end of the tank body, rear supporting wheels at the. sides of the machine and independent driving means connecting each section of the elevator to the wheel located at the same side of the machine, whereby the i the elevator `to the wheel located at the same side of the machine, hammers arranged to act against the bottoms of the elevator buckets and means controlled by the elevators for actuating the hammers. f

3. A snow removlng machine, comprismg a tank vehlcle, an elevator 1n two sections at the end of the tank body, rear supporting wheels at'the sides of the machine, independent driving means connecting each section pendent driving means connecting each sec-` tion Aof the elevator to the wheel located at the same side of the machine, a yielding scoop at the lower end ofthe elevator for presenting the snow to the two sections of the elevator and means for holding the scoop away from the ground.

5. A snow removing machine, comprising a tank vehicle, 'an elevator in two sec tions at one end of the tank body, means for actuating each section of the elevator in accordance with its rate of travel over the ground, a snow receptacle located inl the tank body into which the snow is deposited from the elevator and means for heating the snow receptacle.

6. A snow removing machine, comprising a tank vehicle, an elevator in two sections at one end of the tank body, rear supporting wheels at the sides of the machine, independent driving means connecting each section of the elevator to the wheel located at the same side of the machine and a yielding plow device located in front of the mouth of the elevator adapted to break up hardened pieces of snow and other breakable obstructions.

Si ned at New York, county and State of NewgYork, this 27th dayof January, 1919.

J OHN J. RYAN.

In the presence'off- J oHN J. HAYDEN. 

